English: My uncle, Thomas Noonan, was born in 1893 in Ballyguy, Murroe, Co. Limerick, Ireland. He worked in McBerny's shop on Thomas St. in Limerick (I think it was a drapery shop). He rowed with Limerick Rowing Club. He fell out with his parents over his atheism. He spent a year working in the mines in Wales before returning home to Ireland. An uncle in Australia sent the fare for Thomas to emigrate to Sydney, where he had a job for him. Thomas arrived in Sydney c. June/July 1914. The job never materialised. For adventure, therefore, he joined the 13th Battalion. He died at Gallipoli on 9 August, 1915 aged 23.

He was at the front for about a year and a half. He rowed onto the beaches at the Dardanelles and was one of only two survivors in his boat. That was his arrival at the front. He was in hospital in Alexandria for 3-4 months with shrapnel wounds. In a letter from hospital he said that he was looking forward to getting back to the front.

The family received £30 compensation years later which my father used as a deposit to buy 4 and a half acres of land. He used to say that Thomas's "blood money" bought it.